Machine for assembling spoked-wheels



April 9, 1929. w, N, BQOTH 1,708,439

MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING SPOKED WHEELS Filed March l2, 1928 Patented pr. 9, 1929.

jUNlrED f-FSTAT Eis PATENT oFFrcE.

WILLIAM N. BOOTYII, YOF DETROIT," MICHIGAN, SSIGNOR T0 KEISEYv-HAYES 'WHEEL i i CORPORATIONyOF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORTIONOF `NEW YORK.

' MACHINEOR 'ASSEMBLING sronnnl WHEELS.

-App1cation1ed-March `12, 1928.4 Serial: No. 261,135.

The invention -vrelates to= machines for assemblings spoked wheels particularly of that type having wooden spokes and metallic rims. Oneof the objects o'f theinvention isfto so construct the machinethat the wheel rims are held circular-and to size whilev the spokes are `being assembled there- `.with so that an inherently balanced spoked wheel maybe ormed and necessity ot machining may be' avoided. VWith Vthese as well as other objects in view, the invention'resides in the novel features ot construction and combinations and arrange-A ments of parts as more'fully hereinafter setforth.

*In the drawings I lFigures land 2 are transverse sections througlr a vmachine-and wheel embodyingmy invention and showing the parts-ot the machine-and wheel in dierentpositions;

Figure 3 is a view corresponding Lto Figure 2 andf showing a 'modilied machine;

Figure L1 isy ar plan view oi a portionV thereof.

The machine shown in Figures land 2 is designed to assemble a vehicle wheel having the wooden tenoned spokes 1 and the continuous metallic rim 2, which' is in the present instance a sheet metal channel-shaped felly.` The spokes have double mitered inner ends 3, which in the completed wheel form the hub section. Thespoles have at their outerends the tenons 1 and the annular` shoulders 5 surrounding the tenons. The tenonsare engageable in the erru'les 6 upon the base 7 ot' the telly and extending radially outward from the axis of the wheel7 while the annular shoulders are engageable with bosses upon the base and extending radially inward or toward the axis of the wheel. The telly has the front and rear flanges 8 and 9, respectively, which have errules 6 of the telly and .the inner-double mitered ends 3 of the spokesarealso paritially engaged, the-'fellyfbeing circulan. and to size. ThefmachinehasthebaserlQ which is provided with .the annular. 4flange 13.i 414 is an annular `ring yieldably Vsupported lupon the base 4by the coil springs-15 and slidably enga-gingy the annular shoulder formedfby the tlange' 18;. This annular ring has# the lower and upper. tapered on flared portions 16 and 1G', respectively, Aat its inner periphery for respectively engaging the Seats 1() and 11 upon .thelfellywflanges-andholdlng these seats circular' andi to ',size. 17 is an Aannular `ring' located Y concentrically within. the ring 14 andL guided thereby and yieldablyi supportedupon: the base 12 by means ot' the coil springs 18,l the upperface of this ringbeing engageable with the front side ofv the. front vflange 8.A 19 is a pressure plate which is verticallyamovable toward and away from the base and has adown` wardly extending or bossed` portion 20 adapted to engage the rear: side of the rear flange 9.and ormed'with aLtapered-or 4flared outer periphery. 'correspondingto that vof the seat 11to holdthis seat against `the upper tapered or flared/portion'16Vv ofthe ring 14; when the elly is innitsilowermost position.. Downward movementof thepressure plate relative to theringfll is `limited by.means of the annular series of stops 21 which are engageable with theupper end of the ring 14. 22 anotherpressureplate which is adapted `to be moved? through the pressure plate 19 and vertically towardor away from the base 12. This pressure plate 22 is adapted to cooperate with lthe pressure plate 23 yieldably supported centrally upon the base 12 by means of the coil springs 24 to force the inner endportions'ot1 the yspokes into their permanent positions in the plane` ot the telly. Owing to shape 'of the inner end portions, the spokesv are*E at this time also forced radiallyoutwardto engage'their annular shoulders 5 with 'the bosses upon the base 7 of the telly.

In operation, the partially assembled wheel is placed in theportion of the apparat-us supported upon the base v12 with the front flange 8 lowermost and resting upon the ring 17,l the felly engaging pressure plate 19 and the spoke engaging pressure plate 22 at this time being in suiiiciently raised position to permit the insertion of the partially assembled wheel. The felly engaging pressure plate is then forced downwardly toward the base l2 by suitable means sucli as a ram toV engage its bossed portion 20 with the rear flange 9 and the tapered or flared seat 11 upon this flange. Upon continued downward Vmovement of this pressure plate it carries the fellyk downwardly to bring its rim engaging seats l0l and 11 into contact with the tapered or flared portions of the felly truing ring 14, 14 and the ring 17 are brought into contact with the base. rlhe spoke. engaging. pressurey plate 22 is then forcibly lowered by suitable means such as another ram and cooperates with the "L1 pressure plate 23 toangularly move the ,1' base 12.

spokes to their permanent'positions in the plane of ,the felly, the pressure plate 23 at the' end lof `Vthedowinward movement of the pressure plate 22 beingin contact with the .i With this arrangement it will be seen that the felly tiuing ring 14 with the ring 1'? and thepressure plate 19 operate to hold the felly circular and to size and that the ring 17 and pressure plate 19 fui'ther operate to hold-y the front and rear flanges 8 and 9 ofthe felly intheir correct relative positions during lateral forcing of the spokes to their permanent positions. It will also be seen that the inner ends of the spokes are not positively held out against the felly so that all are free to relatively move to distribute the pressure over all and the inner end of a longer spoke may be nearer the axis ofthe wheel than the others. However, the

construction of spokes is such that the annular lshoulder of each is forced into firm engagement with the base of the felly. As .a

result, a wheel assembled in this machine is ofthe inherently balanced type since. the felly is held circular and to size during the assembling operation.

In the modification shown in Figures 3 andi4, a more simple construction is prof. Lvided in which .the felly truing ring 25 and the front flange engaging ring 2G are integral with ,the base 27,'the central portion of which further has the integral pressure plate 28 for engaging the lower sides of the inner end portions of the spokes 29. The rear flange engaging pressure plate 30 is, however, constructed in the same manner as the corresponding pressure plate 29, this also being true of the pressure plate 31 for engap-in r the u er sides of the inner end )ortions Iof the spokes. A The spokes 29 instead Vrear flanges of the felly in their correct relative positions in the saine manner as the machine shown in 1gures1andj2;V Then upon lowering the pressure' plate'l the .spokesv are forced laterally, as well as radially, outward into their permanent positions, at which timetheir annular shoulders firmly engage the base of the felly.

What l claim as myxinvention is :V

1. ln a machine for assembling spoked wheels, the combination with means engage.- able .with the wheel rim to hold the same circular and to size, of tie rim in engagement with said first mentioned means, and means for forcing the Ispokes into llirin engagementl with the rim and to their permanent positions while` the means for holdingV CII rim is in engagement with said Arst nien-l tioned means. v

2. ln a machine for assembling wheels in partially assembled condition where the spokes engage a metallic rim and are in angular relation to each other, the combination with a. member engageable with `the periphery ofthe rim to hold vthe same circular and to size, of a member for holding the rim in engagement with said first men,-`

tioned member, and means forl angularly moving the spokes relative to the rim and to their permanent positions while the rimV is in engagement With'said firstrmentioned member. Y n

3. In a. machine for assemblingwheels having a e channel-shaped rim andV spokes seating upon the rim, the combination of cooperating' members engageable with the flanges of the rim to hold the rim circular and to size, and means for forcing the spokes into seating engagement with the rim andV to their. l ermanent positions while the rim is in engagementwith said` cooperating members.` y f 4. ln ay machine for lassembling wheels having a sheet metal channel-shaped rim with seats at theouter edges of the flanges thereof, the combination with means engageable' with the seats to hold the rim circular and to size, of meansengageable with the sides ofthe'ilanges to hold the flanges in their correct relative positions, and means for forcing the spokesinto firm engagement with the base of the rim and to their per# marient positions while the rim is in engagement with saidmeans. v L

5. In a machine 'forA .assembling wheels having wooden spokes and asheet metal Channel-shaped rim with lared seats at the portions of the spokes to force the same into outer edges of its flanges, the Combination firm engagement with the base of the rim 10 with a ring engageable With a flange7 of a and to their permanent positions While the ring having flared portions for engaging the rim is in engagement With said rings and Aseats upon the flanges to hold the rim eireupressure plate.

lar and to size, a pressure plate movable In testimony Whereofl allix my signature. into engagement With the opposite flange,

and means engageable With the inner end VILLAM N. BOOTH. 

